POPE'S EFFECT

And now it ends. Before Pope Francis left the country, he reminded us Filipinos to be compassionate at all times. I hope that, that message will really penetrate into our hearts. During his first mass and homily at the Manila Cathedral his introduction was "Do you love me?" All who gathered around him and even people outside the Church responded, "YES" and he was laughing. That introduction really connotes something. It is like when Jesus was asking for Peter in three times, “Peter, do you love me?” This question can only be answered if we are compassionate. By answering ‘YES’ does not mean true because sometimes we are doubtful. We only love when we are also loved by others. We can only love when there is in return, because we love the term reciprocity, it is give and take love. It is not compassion by the way. The true compassion is when we love unconditionally. Pope Francis did not say, “Love one another” but rather, “Be compassionate” because it is with compassion that we can love truly. I hope that the happiness we experienced when the Pope was here, will never end tomorrow, because if it ends tomorrow, then our joy is solely on Pope’s appearance not in Christ who is the center of his visit. Before Pope arrives in our country, he reminded us by not focusing on him, but on Christ.

A Temporary Community

“A TEMPORARY COMMUNITY”

This insight is a reaction not in a negative sense derive from “Virtual Community, Is Real Community”.

As we can see, we are living now in a virtual world. Almost everything is instant. Everything is already in front of us. Tangible or not tangible, but it is real. Almost everything is on the tip of our fingers. The approximate 180,497 islands in the world are now one in a virtual world. All are connected. The history of continental drift presented how the lands being separated and now the world of webs presents how the land reunited.

So now, let us examine this virtual world what could be the best things it offers. We knew how this social media work in our community. We knew its limits. We even tried its advantages and disadvantages, but these are not evil by the way. We understand that it is God’s plan under the command of human, because God instructed us to procreate things and even lives. Much more, He gave us reason to produce ideas and thoughts for us to create something that could help us to connect all people here on earth.

The virtual world is one of the greatest inventions that makes us reunited. It is being said that “It tends to connect rather than isolate users”. Yes it is. We create new communities on the net, phones, television, radio and others and we call it real, but these communities are “temporary communities”. Why is that so? Because these communities are very much dependent with the technologies. Communities like these are dead if there’s no social media. But again, we believe that these are real albeit members are beyond horizon. Temporary communities are inevitably be subsided in the long run. It will not stay longer but slowly diminishes. But virtual world is always advancing.

I happened to tune in, like program in television, radio and others but in the long run the program diminished. Like “Wanted pangga, Eat Bulaga, etc. but what happen now? These are what we call virtual community because many are tuning in. Facebook is another community, twitter and yahoo mail and many more. But there will be a time that these communities will change because the world is advancing and so do this virtual world. For instance, face book is a later development. That is why I call it “Temporary Communities” because it keeps on changing and even the members of these communities. 

The Pope is Coming To Town

“THE PRIVILEGE OF OUR COUNTRY”

Filipinos are preparing for the coming of our pope the successor of St. Peter. After so many years we have been the privilege country since Pope John Paul’s time. Newscasters are unanimously spending much time just to inform all Filipinos that the pope is coming.  We are not among the least even in the spiritual aspect since we are a Christian country. The year 2015 be will the year of history and the time that is worth remembering for the herald of the church is coming to town.

What could be in the pope that makes us joyfully preparing for his coming? If we are going to ask every Filipino “What do you feel that the pope is coming?” I am very sure that their answer would be “I am happy to see him”. In fact, even in barrios and sitios they are hoping that they will be given a chance to see him personally. That’s how the way Filipino Christians loved their leader. How much more when Jesus will come in our country.

The happiness that we feel right now is not that the pope loves the poor, but because we have such leader like him. He goes out from his comfort zones to be one with his people. It is not that he only loves the poor, but he loves all Christians, like Christ Jesus as our true master and leader. He offered His life for the sake of His people. As the Father loves His son and so the Son loves His children as well.

The visit of the pope is not because it is the year of the poor and our country is not that really poor, but because the Lord Jesus Christ wanted us to be renewed with our faith. The Lord sends this pope for us to be reminded that He still loves us. He still loves us in the midst of sun shines and dark clouds. The calamities that we experienced are not valid reasons that we can say we are not loved. And so let us be prepared for this year because the Pope is coming to town.